Helenium plant named ‘Double Trouble’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Helenium  plant named ‘Double Trouble’, characterized by its upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and uniform plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely flowering habit; inflorescences with golden yellow-colored ray and disc florets; and strong peduncles that hold the inflorescences above the foliar plane.

Botanical designation: Helenium hybrida.

Cultivar denomination: ‘Double Trouble’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Helenium plant, botanically known as Helenium hybrida, and hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Double Trouble’.

The new Helenium is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Hillegom, The Netherlands. The objective of the program is to create and develop new Helenium cultivars with double inflorescence form, sterile flowers and a long flowering period.

The new Helenium originated from a cross-pollination by the Inventor in 1998 of two unnamed selections of Helenium hybrida, not patented. The new Helenium was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Hillegom, The Netherlands in 1999.

Asexual reproduction of the new Helenium by terminal cuttings in a controlled environment in Hillegom, The Netherlands since 1999, has shown that the unique features of this new Helenium are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The cultivar Double Trouble has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature, daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance in genotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined to be the unique characteristics of ‘Double Trouble’. These characteristics in combination distinguish ‘Double Trouble’ as a new and distinct cultivar of Helenium:

-   -   1. Upright, somewhat outwardly spreading and uniform plant         habit.     -   2. Moderately vigorous growth habit.     -   3. Freely flowering habit.     -   4. Inflorescences with golden yellow-colored ray and disc         florets.     -   5. Strong peduncles that hold the inflorescences above the         foliar plane.

In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Hillegom, The Netherlands, plants of the new Helenium differed from plants of the parent selections primarily in inflorescence form as plants of the new Helenium had more ray florets than plants of the parent selections.

Plants of the new Helenium can be compared to plants of the Helenium cultivar Kanaria, not patented. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Hillegom, The Netherlands, plants of the new Helenium differed from plants of the cultivar Kanaria in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Helenium had more ray florets per         inflorescence than plants of the cultivar Kanaria.     -   2. Plants of the new Helenium flowered for a longer period of         time than plants of the cultivar Kanaria.     -   3. Plants of the new Helenium were sterile whereas plants of the         cultivar Kanaria were not sterile.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of the new Helenium. This photograph show the colors as true as it is reasonably possible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in the photograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in the detailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors of the new Helenium. The photograph comprise a close-up view of typical inflorescences of ‘Double Trouble’.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

In the following description, color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 2001 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionary significance are used. The following observations and measurements describe plants grown in Hillegom, The Netherlands during the summer in an outdoor nursery and under conditions and practices which approximate those generally used in commercial Helenium production. During the production of the plants, day temperatures ranged from 14° C. to 31° C. and night temperatures ranged from 4° C. to 16° C. Measurements and numerical values represent averages for typical flowering plants. Plants were about one year old when the photographs and description were taken.

-   Botanical classification: Helenium hybrida cultivar Double Trouble. -   Parentage:     -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Unnamed selection of Helenium             hybrida, not patented.         -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Unnamed selection of Helenium             hybrida, not patented. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to initiate roots.—About two weeks.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—About three to four weeks.         -   Root description.—Fine.         -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; dense. -   Plant description:     -   -   Appearance and growth habit.—Perennial herbaceous container             and cut flower plant. Upright and somewhat outwardly             spreading plant habit; inverted triangle. Freely basal             branching with about six primary branches. Moderately             vigorous growth habit.         -   Plant height.—About 75 cm.         -   Plant width or area of spread.—About 46 cm.         -   Lateral branch description.—Appearance: Mostly rounded with             four vertical “wings”; wings about 2 mm in depth and dull in             appearance. Length: About 59 cm. Diameter: About 6 mm.             Internode length: About 2.7 cm. Strength: Strong. Texture:             Smooth, glabrous. Color: 144B; wings, 143A. -   Foliage description:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate; simple; sessile.         -   Length.—About 12.7 cm.         -   Width.—About 2.1 cm.         -   Shape.—Narrowly elliptic to oblanceolate.         -   Apex.—Acute.         -   Base.—Cuneate; decurrent.         -   Margin.—Dentate.         -   Venation pattern.—Pinnate.         -   Texture, upper and lower surfaces.—Smooth, glabrous.         -   Color.—Developing foliage, upper surface: 143A. Developing             foliage, lower surface: 143B. Fully expanded foliage, upper             surface: 137A; venation, 144A. Fully expanded foliage, lower             surface: 137C; venation, 144A. -   Inflorescence description:     -   -   Appearance/arrangement.—Single terminal and axillary             inflorescences held above the foliage on strong erect             peduncles. Composite inflorescence form, radially             symmetrical; flabellate-shaped ray florets; disc florets             massed at the center; ray and disc florets develop             acropetally on a capitulum. Inflorescences face mostly             upright.         -   Flowering response.—Plants flower continuous and freely from             midsummer to late summer in The Netherlands. Inflorescences             persistent.         -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color             and substance for about three weeks on the plant and about             two weeks as cut flowers.         -   Quantity of inflorescences.—Freely flowering habit; about             144 inflorescences per plant develop during the flowering             season.         -   Fragrance.—None detected.         -   Inflorescence bud.—Length: About 7 mm. Diameter: About             1.1 cm. Shape: Flattened globular. Color: N144A.         -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 4.6 cm. Depth (height):             About 2.1 cm. Disc diameter: About 1.6 cm. Receptacle             height: About 5 mm. Receptacle diameter: About 6 mm.         -   Ray florets.—Length: About 2 cm. Width: About 1.2 cm. Shape;             Flabellate. Apex: Incised to lacinate. Base: Attenuate.             Margin: Entire. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Mostly             smooth; towards the base, pubescent. Orientation: Initially             upright then perpendicular to the peduncle. Number of ray             florets per inflorescence: About 16 in a single whorl.             Color: When opening, upper surface: 13A. When opening, lower             surface: 14B. Fully opened, upper surface: 14B. Fully             opened, lower surface: 13B.         -   Disc florets.—Shape: Tubular, elongated. Apex: Five-pointed:             acute. Length: About 3 mm. Width, apex: About 1 mm. Width,             base: About 0.8 mm. Number of disc florets per             inflorescence: Numerous, about 600. Color, immature: 150B;             towards the apex, 153A to 153B. Color, mature: Apex: 153C.             Mid-section: 151B. Base: 145D.         -   Phyllaries.—Length: About 1.2 mm. Diameter: About 1.5 mm.             Shape: Linear. Apex: Acute. Base: Cuneate. Margin: Entire.             Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Number             per inflorescence: About 16 in a single whorl. Color, upper             surface: 143B. Color, lower surface: 143A.         -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 10.5 cm. Length,             fourth peduncle: About 26.4 cm. Length, seventh peduncle:             About 27.4 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Angle: Mostly erect to             about 10° from vertical. Strength: Moderately strong.             Texture: Smooth, glabrous. Color: 143A to 143B.         -   Reproductive organs.—None observed; inflorescences sterile.         -   Fruit/seed.—Fruit and seed development have not been             observed. -   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to     Helenium has not been observed on plants grown under outdoor     conditions. -   Garden performance: Plants of the new Helenium have been observed to     have good garden performance and to tolerate rain, wind and     temperatures from about 0° to about 35° C. 

1. A new and distinct Helenium plant named ‘Double Trouble’ as illustrated and described. 